Tactical training, such as may be carried out by martial artists, law enforcement personnel, and military personnel, often includes training in hand-to-hand combat techniques, including knife fighting. In order to practice such techniques safely, non-edged practice knives are often used in place of an actual edged weapon. Such practice knives may be made of wood, rubber, or aluminum, among other materials.
Such training is more effective when the instructor and student can immediately observe when a successful contact is made during sparring. One way to provide feedback involves the use of marking devices that leave a mark or stain when touching a target. However, these marking devices often mark undesired surfaces, such as practice mats, hands, and the user's clothing. The marking devices may also need to be refilled, or have their colored coating periodically reapplied. Further, when not in use, a sheath or cover is required in order to prevent additional undesired marks from being made.
Such marking devices also fail to convey any information to the users other than an indication that contact has been made, providing little feedback as to a user's technique. What is needed is a training aid that can differentiate between contacts made using a tip of the practice blade and contacts made using an edge of the practice blade. In this way, an instructor or student can be provided with immediate feedback relating to the user's technique, so that the quality of the instruction is improved.